Activity of delta 5, 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in cultured Leydig cells of inbred mouse strains KP and CBA after administration of cadmium.

The activity of delta 5, 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (delta 5, 3 beta-OH SDH) and growth were investigated in cultured Leydig cells of two inbred mouse strains (CBA and KP) differing from each other in their resistance to the toxic effect of cadmium chloride. The treated and untreated mice of the resistant CBA strain were not found to vary in the enzyme activity or the cell growth. The control KP males, which are characterized by large number of degenerated interstitial cells, exhibited a low rate of Leydig cell growth, a lot of cells did not grow at all, and the supply of cadmium chloride resulted in the growth of single cells alone. Likewise the delta 5, 3 beta-OH-SDH activity in this strain was rather weak, the number of cells with a very strong activity observed on the successive of tissue culture being invariably below 20%. The few growing cells from cadmium treated males did not reveal strong reaction.